Is Brandon Weeden Too Old To Win The Heisman?

Call it age discrimination if you want, but I have a problem with someone who is older than Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers winning an award as college football’s most valuable player, especially since Weeden is a former pro athlete … The fact is, Weeden is a psuedo-college athlete. He is 28, married, lives off campus and graduated last May.

For Weeden

Do you really think Weeden spending years on buses en route to outposts like Kannapolis, NC, and Rome, GA, for South Atlantic League play really is an advantage? I don’t. In fact, I think that it’s remarkable that Weeden took so much time off from football and was able to recover to become one of the best players in college and an NFL draft prospect. Weeden should be rewarded for that with the Heisman Trophy if he can finish out the season strong.

My thoughts

I don’t think Brandon Weeden’s age is going to win or lose him the Heisman. I actually think that surprisingly few voters are aware that he is 28 since he has had relatively little press exposure to this point. When Chris Weinke won the Heisman at age 28 in 2000, everyone was aware of it because he played for what was, at the time, the premier program in college football [by the way, have you noticed that Weinke and Weeden each have six letters and begin with ‘W‘? Weiiird].

But Weeden–who is actually a couple months younger than Weinke was when he won the Heisman– has been under the radar much of the year. I believe that voters will be taking a very close look at him over the next couple weeks. With everything else being fairly equal between Weeden and another candidate, it may well be that a few voters pick the younger player. But Weinke’s precedent certainly shows that it shouldn’t be a major factor, though in an exceptionally close race, it could have a small effect.

I personally would have no problem voting for Weeden if I came to the conclusion that he was the most outstanding player in college football. From what I’ve heard from other voters, it’s not an issue for them either.

About Heismanpundit

Chris Huston, A.K.A. ‘The Heisman Pundit‘, is a Heisman voter and the creator and publisher of Heismanpundit.com, a site dedicated to analysis of the Heisman Trophy and college football.
Dubbed “the foremost authority on the Heisman” by Sports Illustrated, HP is regularly quoted or cited during football season in newspapers across the country. He is also a regular contributor on sports talk radio and television.

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8 Responses to Is Brandon Weeden Too Old To Win The Heisman?

“The fact is, Weeden is a psuedo-college athlete. He is 28, married, lives off campus and graduated last May.”

Wow, I wasn’t aware there was an age limit on going to college! What an incredibly stereotyped viewpoint that writer has of what a “college athlete” is. He apparently expects them to be immature, partying, dorm-storming 19 and 20 year olds. How sad that being married and living without the supervision of resident assistants should apparently be viewed as a negative.

The “graduated last May” aspect is the only part of that I find at all relevant, and even that is only marginally so, given how many other “college athletes” have done the same thing (or spent a senior year taking billiards classes and the like). What’s next, graduate students are ineligible to win the Heisman?

Nevermind…3 INTs and a loss against Iowa St. Like I said…this guy and Ok St feasted on weak defenses all season long. LSU or Alabama would have eaten these guys for lunch in the NC game. With both Luck and the old boy stumbling…my boy Trent Richardson has a really good chance to win this at the end.

Wow, here’s a quarter back who has done and exceptional job against every team he has played and because he loses 1 game he out of the Heisman!! I am not an OSU Fan but I have to say that he has earned the votes, while we are at it, let us talk about Broyles for OSU who by the way has broken all the records for the NCAA and he is not even mentioned! Oh yeah Iowa State won and so did Baylor, but let’s us not forget how games they have lost. I thought the Heisman was about individual performance! And thern let’s talk about that joke of a game with Alabama and LSU, it was a field goal game only but yet Trent Richardson, a running back who by the way couldn’t find the goal line for nothing is listed. The same holds true with the Baylor quarter back, sure he did a great job, But his team was pathetic and when a game goes to double overtime it says a lot for both teams, especially OSU Weeden! You guys really need to get a grasp on this, but then again we could give the Heisman to, not to mention any names, those who have had to return for imprper actions!!
Just a comment from some one who loves a great Foot Ball game especially when it goes into over time and isn’t just a bunch of scores by only AField Goal Kickers! But hey, the Heisman Voters have never liked OSU so why should they start now!!

I liked the comment from CM: “so long as he wins the Heisman before he gets his first Soc Sec check.” Personally, my perspective is the developmental aspect of this. There, on average, is a great physiologic developmental difference between a 21-23 yr old and a 28 yr old. We’re talking nearly 5-6 yrs of physical development. I would of loved to have gone back to play high school football at the age of 24. I would have looked like a stud :)! Nearly 30 lbs heavier, pushing those kids around. Need I say more (I will)?

Lastly, what if it was your 22 yr old son competing (heart-out) for the Heisman, and you found out some 27-28 yr old MAN returned to clean house? Let’s keep the kids with the kids, and the men with the men.

To Brandon Weeden: would you win Heisman if everyone else was 28? My guess is probably not!